Oscar-nominated actor Kristen Stewart directs The Film, a trio of music videos in honor of the debut album, the record, of super-group boygenius. The short film globally premiered on Thursday, March 30 at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre followed by a moderated Q&A with boygenius.
Boygenius is Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. The three acclaimed singer-songwriters joined forces in 2018 to release the self-titled EP receiving immediate international acclaim. The indie-rock trio returns this year with their first full-length album The Record with a proper Hollywood sendoff. The album is accompanied by a 15-minute short film composed of three music videos for “$20,” “Emily I’m Sorry” and “True Blue.”
As guests gathered to their seats with free blue popcorn, non-alcoholic drinks and Monty’s Good Burger meals Stewart introduced the short film and boygenius stating “I am such an enormous fan, I wish I had them to look up to when I was a kid. I’m sure there is kids here, you’re lucky, it’s a different world.” Within seconds the room was transported into the emotional world of The Film.
The Film interlocks three music videos with a story-telling centralized in the trio’s friendship. It begins with “$20” young versions of the trio escaping a stern mother and their grown selves cutting their palms for a blood-pact. Through soft hums it transitions to Bridgers singing “Emily I’m Sorry” in front of a monster truck driving over demolished vehicles and rubbish. With soft rain the short film transitions to Lucy Dacus singing “True Blue” where the trio paint an entire room blue and make out. The Film‘s final scene showcases the three cuddling in bed smiling and laughing sharing a pillow and comforter.
The boygenius trio was welcomed on stage with an uproar as the three took their seats for the Q&A. During the half-hour press portion of the Q&A boygenius clarified that they began writing The Record two-and-a-half years ago. When asked about creating The Film, Dacus credited Stewart for a lot of its creation and the group was “happy to have had an excuse to share a space with her and create something.” Baker shared her personal challenge of not being an actor and finding that she “was getting more instruction that the children,” and having Stewart take her step-by-step in the process. Through some laughs and funny moments the three continuously shared that the boygenius project overall has created a beautiful and creative friendship in which they simply get to hang out and get the perk of being able to collaborate together making music.
The Record is out now and available on all platforms. Boygenius will head on tour this summer and curated the Re:SET Concert Series with special guests Clairo, Dijon and Bartees Strange. The group will also perform at Coachella this April. For more information on boygenius or for tour dates visit here.